Create.

Ricky J. Mahy

bsc (hons), dip arch, riba, mrics.

Technical Director

With over 25 years of experience under his belt. Ricky’s time at the practice is proving to be his most fulfilling to date. Ricky’s experiences of the industry cover all aspects, from surveying to architecture and building control to company director – no mean feat when you consider that he started out as a trainee architectural technician at just 17 years old. Learning the industry from scratch and then moving into Building Control for 10 years means that Ricky’s knowledge of building regulations and control issues are an invaluable resource for his role within the company.

Ricky gained an Honours degree in Building from Solent University in Southampton in 1997. Following this, he then qualified as a Building Control Officer and in 2001 qualified as a Chartered Surveyor, becoming a member of the RICS. It was around this time that a lifelong passion for architecture dictated a change of direction for Ricky’s career. After studying for five years, he attained chartered membership of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architecture) in 2005. The study process was intense as the correspondence course was self-taught, with only a small amount of liaison from the course tutor. Part of the course involved travelling to the UK four times a year to attend weekend courses, various building lectures and site visits, as well as completing personal projects, such as case studies, course work and final exams, all supervised by a mentor. But Ricky wouldn’t have changed a thing: “I love being creative with architecture and integrating my technical knowledge into resolving design challenges,” he says.
Ricky’s dual membership of both the RICS and RIBA is extremely rare and is testament to his lifelong devotion to the industry. During the last 22 years he has had to sacrifice a lot of evenings
and weekends to studying, but he maintains he has enjoyed every experience. “It is amazing to be able to do what I love as a career and to surpass client expectations is what makes it worthwhile.”

Although the studying never stops – there are CPD courses, as well as having to travel to experience new architecture – Ricky now feels it is important to readdress his work/life balance. Spending his weekends and well-deserved time off in the garden, as well as kayaking in the summer months, allows him to recharge his batteries, ready to take Create forward to the next level.

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